Itinerant
by Electric Angel
Summary: Hermione has dropped out of Hogwarts. She roams the streets of Diagon Alley. She searches for money, and is lucky if she gets a bite to eat. Will something good become out of being homeless?
1. Chapter One

A nineteen year old Hermione Granger sat at a table in Diagon Alley. She had a _Sugar Quill_, and was licking it. She couldn't concentrate on anything. She had never been like that in her whole life. She was reading the Daily Prophet about the Chudley Cannon's victory at a Quidditch game. It went on and on about how Harry Potter, who used to be her best friend, hadn't helped at all. She looked at the article again, seeing who wrote it. Rita Skeeter. ***Of course, she has something against Ron, Harry, and I. Why didn't I think of that?*** Hermione thought, tossing the paper in a trash can. She picked up her cat, Shankeddy, and put him in her purse. She was still sad about Shankeddy's mother, Crookshanks', death. She had died recently, and the only people who sent her cards were Fred Weasley and Albus Dumbledore. She was surprised that Dumbledore had sent her a card, even after she had dropped out of Hogwarts. Harry had dropped out also to play for a professional Quidditch team. Hermione had needed to try to find a job. She had gotten a part-time job at Eeylops Owl Emporium, but after a huge theft that had occurred when she was working a shift, she was fired immediately. She had no home, she lived on the streets. Once in a while she found a Knut, and if she was lucky a piece of silver. Crookshanks had had six kittens, but Hermione sold five of them for more money. She couldn't get any from her parents of course, because they were Muggles and they had died in an airplane crash. She had never heard from Harry since they dropped out and since Hermione didn't have an owl, she couldn't send a message to Ron. She had no clue how Ron was living, but she knew Harry had a life of luxury. She walked away but someone grabbed her shoulder. She spun around quickly. A young boy, about twenty, stared back at her. The boy had a childish grin and his red hair was matted down. Hermione shook her head. The boy held out something round wrapped in foil. "Cheeseburger?" he asked her. She nodded and pulled a Sickle from her pocket. She hadn't had real food to eat in days, only a Sugar Quill and a few of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavor Beans. He handed it to her and she sat down again. The boy pulled another from his jacket and sat down and ate it too. When he finished, moments after Hermione did, he wiped some dirt off of his face to reveal a thick coat of freckles. ***Probably just a coincidence, him looking like Ron.*** Hermione thought. Then the boy pulled an old wand that had snapped in half out of his jacket pocket. Hermione gasped. "Ron?"


	2. Chapter Two

"Hey Hermione. How are you doing?" the boy asked her, smiling. "Ron? It's really you?" Hermione asked, scanning him from head to toe. "I thought you were still at Hogwarts!" she said, looking into his eyes. "Mum and dad didn't have enough money to pay for all of the supplies for everyone for next year and the rest of this year. So I kind of had to drop out. I live in the Muggle world now. I only come for visits." Ron said, wiping more dirt off his face. "I have a small apartment. You should visit sometime." Ron told her, helping her up from her chair. They walked along the streets. "I'd... I'd love to! I haven't visited the Muggle world since, well, my parents died in an airplane crash." Hermione said to Ron. Ron nodded. "Er, how much do you need?" Ron asked her. "Huh?" Hermione asked him with a quizzical look on her face. "Money. How much do you need?" he asked her again. "What do you mean by that?" Hermione asked him. "Herm, robes, books, food. You have to get that stuff. Stay with me in my apartment and I can get you all of that stuff." Ron said. They stopped in front of Gringotts. Ron pulled her in. "Vault 22223, please." he said to a nearby goblin. Hermione sat down in the cart and Ron sat in next to her. It started rolling down a slope and a few minutes later it stopped at a vault with the number 22223 engraved in silver on it. The goblin reached out and opened it. There was a heap of Galleons, some large piles of Sickles, and in the back stacked high to the top were seven piles of Knuts. Ron reached into his jacket and pulled out a bag as Hermione stared in awe. "Ron, you're rich!" she said, pulling out a Galleon and examining it. Ron started piling Knuts and Sickles into the bag, and throwing in some Galleons. "We're ready." Ron said, and the goblin closed the vault. "Where'd you get that much?" Hermione asked him. "Easy. I have a job at a factory in the Muggle world. I bring the money I get paid here and have it converted into Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts. I still have Muggle money at home, though." Ron said, once again pulling Hermione out of the cart. She followed Ron to **Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions**. "Pick out any kind you like." Ron said. "Thank you." Hermione replied graciously. She chose a deep purple set. As Ron paid the bill, she turned to look at him. "Why are you doing this?" Hermione asked him. "Well, uh, you're a friend. And you're living on the streets, for Heaven's sake!" Ron exclaimed. Hermione nodded, although she was still confused. They walked to the bookshop and went in. Ron bought Hermione all of the latest books and a new set of reading glasses. "Thank you so much Ron, but you don't have to be doing this." Hermione said, looking gratefully at Ron. "Yes I do. Come on, come see my place. We'll stay here for the night, at a nice hotel maybe, and then in the morning we'll leave for my place." Ron said. Hermione nodded, and they walked off into the moonlight.


	3. Chapter Three

Hermione yawned, and turned over. Her head hit a pillow, not a park bench like she usually slept on. She immediatley woke up and looked around, recalling the memories of the night before. Ron had found her on the streets, and she was staying in his apartment for a while. She got up, and saw a pair of jeans and sweatshirt on the chair across the room. She dragged herself over to the chair and pulled them on. She found a small bag on the table next to the chair, and looked inside it. It had a toothbrush, toothpaste, a brush, soap, and a note. She pulled the contents out of the bag, and opened the crumpled note. In scrawly writing, it said:

Herm-

Last night you got really tired so I brought you to the guest room in my apartment. I went out after that and got you these, because I thought you'd need them.

-Ron

Hermione set the note on the counter and picked up the brush. She ran it through her hair. _It feels good to have something new again_, she thought. She got the toothpaste and the toothbrush and went into the bathroom to brush her teeth. She also fished something out of her old coat and put it in her pocket. She washed her face, and pulled out am old tube of lipstick and put it on her lips. The container cracked, and half of what was left of the lipstick fell off. _That's done for_, she thought, as she tossed it into the trash can. It had been old when she found it in a trash can. She stretched her arms and went into the hall. The smell of eggs filled the air. She took a deep breath and walked towards the kitchen. There Ron was cooking eggs, enough for both of them. "Help yourself!" Ron said, grinning, and motioning toward the stack of plates. She picked up a white plate with a pretty flower design on the edges, and put a strip of bacon on it. She also fished a spatula from the sink and put some eggs on her plate. Ron handed her a fork, and she smiled. She set her food down at the small table. "Milk or orange juice?" Ron asked her. Hermione hadn't had orange juice in what seemed like forever. "Orange juice!" she said hastily. Ron grinned and poured her a glass of orange juice and a glass for himself. He set the glasses down on the table, one at his spot and one at Hermione's spot. He went to the stove and made him a plate of eggs and bacon. "This is really good, Ron. How did you learn to cook so well?" Hermione asked him. "I learned from my mother a long time ago. This is one of my great-great-grandmothers recipes." Ron answered her, taking another bite. Hermione finished her plate when the oven timer went off. Hermione looked at him with a confused look on her face. "The pancakes are ready! Want some?" Ron asked her. "Yes!" she said. "Lots." she added, smiling. He stacked her a plate of pancakes, and took some for himself. "This is the best breakfast I've had in a long time." Hermione said, looking into Ron's eyes. He grinned. "Well, you'll have lot's more of them!" Ron said, taking their finished plates to the sink. They finished their pancakes and took a final sip of their orange juice. Hermione took the other plates and the glasses to the sink. Ron said "Are you ready to do stuff today? Like shop for Muggle clothes, and there's this charity dance-a-thon I heard about. Maybe we could go to that!" he said with a grin. Hermione nodded. "Sure! Let's go!" she said, standing up. She followed Ron outside, and in the parking lot she saw all kinds of cars. "Which one is yours?" she asked. He showed her the way downstairs and they went into the parking lot. They stopped in front of a blue Mustang. He unlocked the doors and climbed into the driver's seat. Hermione went to the other side of the car and got into the front seat. Ron started the engine, and started to make his way to a clothing store. On the way, he striked up a conversation. "So, have you met Lily yet?" Ron asked her. "Lily?" she said, with a confused look. "Yes, Lily. She's my dog. She was in a cage in my room at breakfast. She's a Sheltie." Ron said, grabbing a framed picture from the backseat. It showed a smiling young man hugging a medium-sized dog. "That's me and Lily." Ron said, putting the picture back. "Does she get along with cats?" Hermione asked. "Of course. Why?"" Ron told her. "Well, I haven't told you this, but Crookshanks died. She also had six kittens. I sold them all, except for one. Ron, meet Shankeddy. I kept this one." she said, pulling the kitten out of her purse and stroked her back. As she put her in the backseat and she laid down immediatley to take a nap. Shankeddy was a silvery color, but her tail was black at the end. "Aww, she's so sweet!" Ron said. He pulled up in front of a store called **Clothes Galore**. He got out and opened the door for her. She stepped out, and they went inside. He saw the Young Adults section and pulled her over there. She immediatley started looking around. She found a denim skirt and a long-sleeved white shirt that matched. She pulled them off the rack and handed them to Ron. He held them, along with a blue dress she picked out. She found two pairs of jeans she really liked, along with a sweatshirt that said Purr-fect. She found a pink tank top and a lime green pair of shorts, and handed all of them to Ron. She found a set of colored t-shirts and handed those to Ron. She grabbed some socks from the rack and handed them to Ron, also. She found the jewelry rack and picked out some earrings and a necklace with her birthstone on it. She found a pretty ring and handed all of those to Ron. She also found some purple leggings and gave those to Ron. She turned around and saw that his hands were stuffed. She picked up a navy blue rain jacket, and said "I think we're ready to go." with a small laugh. Ron grinned, and she helped carry the stuff to the checkout register. They put it on the register and the lady rung it up. She put it in bags and they took them to the car. "Next stop, shoes." Ron said, and Hermione giggled. He drove her down two blocks to a **Shoe Stop**. They went in, and found Ladies 8's. He told her to take off her shoe to see what size she was. Ladies 8. She took off her shoes and found a pair of sneakers with a green design on the side. She also found a pair of pink flip-flops and a pair of white high heels. Ron found the aisle he needed for his size, and found a pair of sneakers with a black design. They took their stuff to the counter and bought it. They took those bags to the car and Hermione asked "What else do we need?" and smiled at Ron. "_You_ need makeup." he said, driving her to **Face & Skin**. They went in, and Hermione went over to the lipstick, dragging Ron with her. She chose a pink color, and a deep red. Then she went to the blush section, and found sort of a tannish-pinkish color. She found the eyes section, and chose a container that had pink, silver, and tan eye-shadow. She grabbed a tube of mascara from the rack, and headed to the lip and eye-liner section. She chose a reddish lip-liner and a brownish eye-liner. She went to the nail polish section, and chose a blue, a pink, a purple, and a red. She also got a container of Nail Polish Remover. She took the stuff to the counter, with Ron following. "That was quick." he said to Hermione. "I know!" she replied, taking the bags to the car. She put them in the trunk with all of the other bags. He drove toward his apartment. They got out, and carried the same amount of bags up the stairs. When they got in, they dumped them in the floor. Hermione started to take them to her room. "Hey Herm, get dressed for the Dance-A-Thon, okay? Every hour we dance, five dollars goes to charity. After every fifty-five minutes, there's a five minute break period. All right?" Ron said. Hermione just nodded, and continued to take stuff to her room. She locked her door when she had all of her stuff in her room and undressed. She put on the baby blue dress she had gotten, and the white sandal/high heels. She took out the makeup, and put on silver eye-shadow. She put on the blush, and put on the pink lipstick. After forty-five minutes of getting ready, she walked out. Ron was wearing a really nice shirt and nice pants. He gasped when he saw Hermione. "You look great!" he said to her. "So do you." she replied. "Come on, let's go. The dance starts in ten minutes." Ron said, opening the door. She grabbed her purse and they went down to the car. He opened the door for her, and she got in. He got in and drove her to the Community Center where it was being held. When they got there, they were just in time. They reviewed the rules, then the music started. It was a fast song, and everyone started dancing, including Ron and Hermione. Soon, fifty-five minutes had passed. The music was still going but they didn't stop dancing. Everyone watched them. Pretty soon it was eleven. They had danced since seven without stopping. "This is the last dance!" said the dee-jay. He played a slow song. Ron put Hermione's arm around his neck and put his arms around her waist. When the song stopped, they danced slowly for another minute. Their faces got closer. Ron brought his lips closer to Hermione's, and Hermione did the same. Then they kissed. Hermione had never experienced that before. Ron lips tasted sweet, and Ron though Hermione's tasted like candy. Ron led Hermione to the car, and he drove her to the apartment.


	4. Chapter Four

Hermione slept in until eleven the next day. She woke up because a Ron's dog, Lily, was licking her face. She got up, threw on one pair of her new jeans and pulled an orange t-shirt on. She brushed her hair and washed her face. She brushed her teeth and put on some red lipstick. She put on her sneakers and ran out to see Ron. When she went out, she gasped and nearly fainted when she saw who was standing at the door. It was Harry from Hogwarts, and he had his arm around Ginny Weasley, who was holding a baby. She looked at Ron. "They're not married." he said. "What about the baby?" Hermione asked with a confused look. "He's ours." Harry said. He was wearing baggy pants and a dark green t-shirt. Ginny was wearing a khaki miniskirt and a blue tank-top. "His name is Christopher." Ginny added, smiling. Ron suddenly realized what was going on. He punched Harry in the face and he stumbled backwards. "Ron!" Ginny shouted, tears streaming down her face. She gave the baby to Hermione to hold, and she ran over to Harry. "Harry!" she whispered, cradling his head in her arms. Blood soaked Harry's face. "Get out of my apartment, Harry Potter!" Ron yelled, getting angrier. Harry got up and punched Ron in the stomach. Ron fell over, unconscious. Hermione put the baby on the couch and ran over to Ron. She shook him, but he didn't move. Harry had gotten up, and Ginny had fetched the baby. Harry had realized that Hermione was in tears. He went over to her and tried to grab her hand, but she shoved him away. "Harry, how could you?" she sobbed, resting her head on Ron. He started back towards Ginny. "Come on, Gin. Let's go back home." Harry said, taking her out the door. Hermione got up and slammed the door. She grabbed the phone and called the hospital. They would come get him. When the ambulance came, she opened the door and watched them come get Ron. A nice female doctor asked Hermione if she wanted to come. She nodded and followed her out. When they got to the Emergency Room, they took Ron in and told Hermione to wait in the waiting room. Two and a half hours later, the doctor came out. "He's conscious." he told her. "You can see him." he said, and Hermione jumped up and followed the doctor. Ron was in a bed, and he was pale. "Can you leave us alone for a minute?" Hermione asked. The doctor nodded and exited. "Hermione Granger... will.." he fished something from the table on the other side of the bed. It was a diamond ring. He handed it to her. "Will you... marry... me?" Ron asked, and he went into unconsciousness again. Hermione nodded, and in tears, she said "Yes, yes I will." even though she knew he couldn't hear her.


	5. Chapter Five

Hermione sat on her bed, fiddling with the diamond ring Ron had given her. She set it down and started rummaging through the drawers of the desk in her room. She found Ron's address book and flipped through it, looking for Ginny's phone number. She picked up the phone and dialed it. A boy answered. "Hello?" he asked. "H-Harry? Is that you?" Hermione asked nervously. "Yes, it is. Can I ask who is calling?" Harry said. "It's Herm. Hermione, I mean Can I speak to Ginny?" Hermione said. "Yeah, I'll get her." Harry replied. He set the phone down and Hermione could hear him call "Ginny, phone for you!" and her reply "Okay! Coming!" and thumps as she ran towards the phone. Ginny picked up the phone. "Hello?" she asked. "Hi, Ginny. It's Hermione. Sorry about what Ron did." Hermione told her. "Aw, it's okay. Harry's fine. What happened to Ron?" she asked. "Well, he was unconscious for a while. He's back home now. That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Hermione said, chewing on a piece of her hair. "Yeah?" Ginny asked. "Ron proposed to me two days ago." Hermione said, and she heard Ginny gasp. "And I accepted." she finished. "Oh my gosh, Hermione, I'm so glad! I'm coming over to help you find a wedding dress." Ginny said. "oh, no, you don't have to." Hermione said nervously. "Oh, but I will. I'm coming over right now. Bye!" Ginny said, hanging up. Hermione put the phone down and slipped the ring onto her finger. She put on a fresh coat of lipstick and went outside to wait for Ginny. Twenty minutes later, Ginny arrived in a white Volkswagen beetle. Ginny stuck her head out the window. "Climb in!" she said with a smile. Hermione opened the door and got in. Then Ginny started to drive to a store. "Where are we going?" Hermione asked Ginny. "Oh, some place called **Wedding Day**. They're supposed to have a huge collection." Ginny said, and as she finished, they arrived at the store. Ginny dragged Hermione in and pulled her to the wedding dress section. She lifted a pink dress off of the rack, a baby blue one, and a red one. She held each of them up to Hermione, and set the pink and red down. "Blue it is." Ginny stated. "Now to bridesmaid dresses. Who will your bridesmaids be?" Ginny asked. "Well, you of course, Ginny. Maybe Lavender from Hogwarts, and maybe Parvati Patil. Oh, and Fleur Delacour." Hermione told her. Ginny pulled a cell-phone out of her purse. "Call them and ask. Press Memory One for Lavender, Memory Three for Fleur, and Memory Seven for Parvati." Ginny told her. Hermione nodded and did as she instructed. She called Lavender first. Lavender answered. "Hello?" Lavender asked. "Hi Lavender, it's Hermione from Hogwarts." Hermione said. "Oh, hey Hermione! I haven't heard from you in a long time, ever since you dropped out of Hogwarts." Lavender said. "Yeah. I wanted to know if you wanted to be one of the bridesmaids for my wedding. I'm marrying Ron Weasley." Hermione said. "I'm so happy for you, Hermione! Of course I will. Where should we meet?" Lavender asked. "Well, Ginny Weasley and I are at the **Wedding Day** shop. Do you know where that is?" Hermione asked her. "Yes, I do. I'll be there in ten minutes." Lavender told her, hanging up. Hermione dialed Memory Three. "Hello?" a girl's voice answered. "Hi, is this Fleur Delacour?" Hermione asked. "Yes it is." Fleur replied. "This is Hermione Granger from Hogwarts quite a few years ago. I'm getting married, and I'd like to know if you'd be one of my bridesmaids." Hermione said. "Of course. Are you at that **Wedding Day** shop?" Fleur asked. "Yes, I am. How did you know?" Hermione asked, astonished. "I live across the street from it. I'll see you there in like, two minutes." Fleur said with a laugh, then hanging up. "Are they both coming?" Ginny asked Hermione. Hermione nodded. "Yeah." she answered. She quickly dialed memory Seven and let the phone ring. A boy answered. "Hello, may I ask who is calling?" the boy said. "This is Hermione Granger. I used to go to school with Parvati. Can I speak to her?" Hermione said. "Sure. One second." the boy answered. After about a minute, a girl answered. "Hello? Hermione? It's Parvati." Parvati told her. "Hey! I'm getting married to Ron Weasley, and I'd like to know if you'd be one of my bridesmaids." Hermione asked, and Fleur and Lavender came bursting through the doors. "Oh, sure! I'd love to! Where shall I meet you?" Parvati asked. "That **Wedding Day** shop. Do you know where that is?" Hermione asked. "Yeah, I'll be over really soon." Parvati said, hanging up. Hermione hung up, and looked around. Ginny was already chatting with Fleur and Lavender, and then Parvati came in. Hermione went over to them, and said "Come on, let's pick out the bridesmaid dresses." with a smile. They followed her and spread out. Parvati chose a light peach color, Fleur chose a pale green, and Lavender chose a lavender color, of course. Hermione and Ginny looked at the dresses, and said "The lavender one." at the same time. Fleur and Parvati hung the dresses they had chosen back up. "Why the lavender one?" Fleur asked. "It matches Hermione's dress." Ginny replied without hesitation. Parvati and Fleur nodded. They headed toward tuxedos to find a tux for Ron. Hermione found one that was Ron's size and they headed towards the counter. They bought the items, and Hermione told them "I'll call you and tell you when the wedding will be okay?" with a grin. She put the bags in the trunk of the beetle and Ginny drove her home. She got in, and Ron was waiting for her. He was surprised when he saw all of the bags. "Where have you been?" he asked. "I was shopping for a tux, a wedding dress, and bridesmaid dresses for the wedding." Hermione said, pulling the tuxedo out of the bag. She handed it to him and he set it down on the couch. She put the bags down and said "When will the wedding be?" with a smile. He went over to her and grabbed her waist and kissed her. "Soon. Very soon." he said with a smile. 


End file.
